Breaking from the Back
by Whispatchet
Summary: Anywhere was better than here. He had to get out.... he wanted to move.... but he'd never have enough money, and his grades weren't good enough for college dorm to save him.... what's a poor boy to do? MP Verse.
1. The Most Fated of Our Early Days

_Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt. _

Lazilly, a hand emerged from the covers, and waved feebly in the direction of the noisy alarm. But, due to an overall lack of effort, did not have much success in shutting it off.

_Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt. _

The alarm was rather insistent.  
"Go 'waaay..." A voice muttered.

_Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt. _

But it did not relent. And, as he could not get his hand across to switch it off, he had to get up. Curses. Foiled.  
He sat up with a sigh, running a hand though his scruffy black hair. "Stupid mornings.... why do you have to start so damn early?" He said to himself. Really. Was it too much to ask for an extra hour and a half of sleep?

Grumbling, he reached over and belted the alarm clock by his bed, summoning at last the silence. But now he was up, he couldn't lay back down. Stupid alarm clock.  
With another heartfelt sigh, he tossed the covers off his bed, and climbed out, heading over to his small freestanding wooden wardrobe to change from his stripy pyjamas that almost didn't fit him anymore.

Pulling on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, he left his bedroom, heading downstairs. A tall man with short cropped black hair was standing in the kitchen, idly sipping at a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper.  
"Mornin' Dad."  
"Hey." A pair of dark brown eyes looked over the top of the newspaper and watched the teenager as he made himself some toast and coffee. "You still insist on going, huh?"  
"It's my last year, Dad." Green eyes looked up at met the brown. "So what is the point of dropping out now? I might as well finish it." He shoved some crispy bread covered in fruity goo into his mouth. "And it's the last term. Nine more weeks, then I'm finished."  
"A lot can happen in nine weeks." His father told him. "You could do a lot around here in nine weeks."  
"I'd rather go to school."

And with that, he downed his coffee, and left the room, grabbing a backpack from the lounge room, and leaving the apartment.

His father watched him walk down the street, until he couldn't see him anymore. He sighed and shook his head. His second son had so much heart to him. Brown eyes turned to a photo on the wall, of a woman with striking green eyes and beautiful brown hair.

"This is your doing, isn't it, love."

---

"Now, you're sure you'll be alright dear?"  
"Yes mother, I'll be fine."  
"Because you know we can afford a private institution, if you'd prefer..."  
"Mother, I was accepted here, I'm enrolled here, we're here, so I'm going to school here! Now will you please park the car so I can get out?"

The woman sighed, and pulled the car into a parking space, turning the engine off so her son could get out of the car. Her blue eyes met his for a moment, and she reached across to run a hand through his browny red hair, which made him swat her hand away and set it back the way he had it.

"You be careful dear."  
"Yes mother."  
"Do you want me to come in with you?"  
"No mother."  
"You're sure?"  
"YES mother."

He pushed the door open and climbed out, fetching his bag from the back seat. "I'll be fine, mother. Really. I'll walk in, go to the office, and ask them where I should go. Easy."  
"...Alright, but, call me if you need anything. Anything at all sweetheart!"  
"Honestly mother, you're acting as if I've never been to school before! It's High School, not Kindergarten."  
"I'm sorry dear, but after moving, and skipping you up, I'm just worried for you is all."  
"I know, mother. But really, I'll be okay." He waved to her, smiling, and turned, heading up towards the school building.

She watched him until he vanished through the front doors. She sighed, and started the car up again. He was so stubborn. So proud. But then again, he was a teenage boy, after all. They hated to be babied.

She smiled. He was just like his father.

And the black car slid out of the car park, into the street.

---

His father never really could understand why he wanted to go to school.

Sure, he wasn't the most popular guy in class, and his grades were average at best. But it got him out of that place.

The suburb where he lived, commonly known as the 'Back District' was a rundown locale in the bowels of New York. Gangs ran the place, selling drugs and alcohol, theft, muggings, all of that was common place there. The only thing that kept things from spreading and getting out of hand was his father.

He was a strong, brutal man, and he had lived in that district for a long, long time. His name was famous, and if he told you to do something you damn well did it, and did it well. If you didn't, he made certain you knew to do it the next time, usually with strategic application of a fist to your nose.

It was a strange arrangement, but, as long as the gangs didn't do anything outside the District, and involve others, he didn't care. Of course, if someone walked in there, then they were fair game, to be mugged for all they were worth. But most people weren't that stupid.

The only place his father drew the line was murder and rape. If a person died at the hands of anyone in the District, or forced someone against their will, he would personally turn them over to the police, after beating the living hell out of them.

Of course, the residents of the District who weren't part of a gang were quite welcome to call the police at any time, and, occasionally did, usually when an outsider was spotted being harassed, especially if they were there because a Resident had invited them there. Over the years, the gangs all learnt that if a Resident threatened to call the police, if they didn't stop what they were doing, they usually would. And getting the police called to the District usually meant that if you _weren't_ arrested, his father would beat the CRAP out of you. Most people hoped to be arrested in that situation.

He knew all this. He had known all this for years. He had been raised to continue this sort of dominance over the district when his father no longer could. But, he just didn't have it in him. He hated it. He wasn't suited to the life of a thug, no matter which way you looked at it. He was just too nice.

Not like his older brother. His brother was almost a clone of their father, if not for their mother's green eyes. His brother was tall, strong, and had the same temperament as their father. He was the acknowledged successor to their father's possession, and there was no one, least of all him, who was going to disagree.

All his teachers knew of course, where he was from. He wasn't dumb enough to go to school in a place he hated. His school was a whole three suburbs away, which was why he had to wake up so Goddamn early. A few of his classmates, mostly those who sucked up to the teachers, knew about him as well, but he had, in a strange fit that had made him seem more like his father than he ever had before, threatened them within an inch of their lives, making them SWEAR to secrecy. He had tried, over the last few years, tried his hardest to have a normal High School life. He knew that if people found out, they would shy away from him, and the semi-normality of his life would be shattered for all eternity. Finding out that it was at risk brought out this horrible side of him...... a side he became desperate to repress at all costs afterwards.

He still, however, saved an irritated glare for those few members of the student body who knew whenever they passed each other.... just to let them know he hadn't forgotten who they were.

There was one other reason he went to school. One that he never told anyone, not even his father and brother.

Because of his mother.

His mother had died when he was eight. She had been so pretty... so smart. He had never asked WHY someone as awesome as his mother had married a thug like their father, but he figured she must have had a reason. She had always wanted her sons to go to school.... go to college, realise their potential. She had told him so before she had died. She realised quickly that her first son was not suited to going to a public school. He was too much like his father. So, she charged HIM with his education. And of course, she also taught him, when she came home from work.

But the second son was different.

They had waited until the first son was five before they chose to have another child. And their second son was so sweet. So gentle. She knew right away, just from the light in his eyes. He was not like his brother. And she started him in preschool as soon as he was old enough. She wanted him to learn. To be able to leave the Back District, and see everything there was to see on the outside.

There was nothing she could do to stop her husband from including the second son in the training, however, that the first son was undertaking. Nothing worse than having a favourite, he had said. Nothing more unfair than making life easy for one and allowing the other no reprieve. She agreed on that point, so she let the younger boy train with his brother and father.

It made a fine, strong young man out of him.

When his mother died, he made a promise to her over her grave marker. He promised her he would finish school. He would finish primary school, get his High School diploma, and even go to college if he could. He promised her he would find his potential, just like she wanted him to. He wouldn't follow the life that his father and brother did. He would find what he was meant for.

He'd make her proud.

And so, here he was, waking up at seven thirty, walking to the station on the other side of the District, and taking the train to the High School, three suburbs away. At least there was something to get him there. If it wasn't for the train, this would have been much less plausible. He'd have to wake up at four just to get to school on time. And seven thirty was enough of a trial, thank you so very.

At least it was nearly over. Nine weeks, eight exams, and one project to go, then High School could go to hell. He was so close.....  
He didn't expect, with his grades, be able to get into college, although it would be nice. And it wasn't as if his father couldn't afford it, either. They had a lot of money, for a family that did what they did.

At last, his station was called out over the PA in the train. He grabbed his bag off the floor at his feet, and stood, heading for the door. He held onto the handrails for dear life as the train screeched to a halt at the station, and the door roughly jerked open. He grumbled to himself about the stupid train, just like he did every day, and stepped out onto the platform.

It was nicer than back home. Christ, compared to the Back District, this place was paved with platinum and constructed out of polished marble. Nothing was as crap as the Back District.... nothing as gloomy, nothing as so unnervingly depressing. He couldn't understand WHY anyone, especially the Civilian Residents, chose to stay there! Prices elsewhere be damned! It was a horrible place to live!

He left the station and walked through the much nicer district towards the high school, pausing at the crosswalk as an expensive looking black car drove past, before heading up to the school building. Stepping through the doors to the main lobby, he saw the same thing he saw every day. Kids heading down the hall to the main part of the school, heading to the administration desk... always heading somewhere. The lobby was a transitional point; hardly anyone came to the lobby to be in the lobby, and when they did, it was usually because they were waiting for someone, and would move off when they arrived at last.

Something seemed different today though. There was something....new.... in the lobby that day. Ah, a new student, asking questions of the administration staff. Shrugging it off, he moved to walk past the new student.

"...and your time table is in the folder. Your class is SK4."  
"Thank you very much. Where is the classroom?"  
"There is a map in your folder."

"......"

He paused and looked over at the new guy. SK4 was _his_ class. Their teacher hadn't mentioned they were getting a new student..... and at this time of year? Madness.  
"Hey, you after SK4?" He asked.

A pair of blue eyes turned on him, blinking in surprise from behind a pair of oval glasses. Crap, he was a nerd.  
"Yes...."  
"That's my class too. Here, come with me, I'll show you."  
"Oh! Thank you!"

He chuckled. "No worries. The Admins are mostly final year student volunteers, and so they are all pompous assholes that are of no use. Try not to talk to them if you can help it. Aim for the adult staff."

".....Oh. I see. I didn't realise they were students. Sometimes it's hard to tell, huh." The boy with the blue eyes said, tilting his head to one side curiously. "So, we're in the same class... nice to meet you." He added, smiling.  
"Yeah, weird how I was walking past at that moment." Green eyes studied the other boy. He was tall, but, somehow seemed.... young. "How old are you?" He asked.

"I've just turned 17."  
"So....why are you in my....?"  
"Oh! I skipped a year back at my old school." He laughed awkwardly. "I get that a lot."

Fantastic. Super Nerd alert. Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt.

"Oh, right. Where did you move from?" Why was he still being nice to this guy?  
"We moved from Atlanta about two weeks ago." Danger! Danger Will Robinson! "My father got a new job, so, we all had to move out here to New York. My mother has the kind of job where she can relocate whenever she needs to, so it didn't bother her at all." Christ, he even calls his parents 'mother' and 'father'... "But I hadn't finished school yet, so, here I am."

"You'd come to a place like this? Why not a private school?"  
"This school is closer to our house. Mother is overprotective, so she wanted me to go to a private school, but, that would mean that she'd drop me off every day... At least here I can walk if I have to."

"Ah hah, independence." He chuckled, despite himself.  
"Yeah, kinda." He smiled back.

"Oh, well, here we are." He pointed at a door, a piece of paper slotted into a Perspex window on the front declaring it to be Room SK4.

"Last chance to turn back dude." He said, grinning.  
The other boy grinned back. "Not a chance."

And they pushed the door open together.

---

"For our final project, we'll be working in pairs." Their teacher told them. "It might be nice for you to put some effort into it, because guess what!"  
There was a puzzled silence.  
"The results of this project will in fact, affect your final grade. So no slacking oooooff!" She chuckled at the round of distressed conversation. "You may choose your pairs and work out what you will be doing your project on. The theme is..."

This is about where his attention span cut out. Probably why his grades were only average at best; he just couldn't pay attention through his teacher's over dramatic spiels that were far longer than at all necessary. If he had any other teacher, he'd probably get better scores. Funny how rarely that was taken into account when evaluating one's intelligence.

The teacher clapped her hands together, jolting his attention back to where it probably should have been. "Alright! You may now pick your pairs and start planning your project. Once you have made your decisions, you may go to recess. Have fun!" And with that, she picked up her things, and headed off towards something more important..... Probably involving a chair in the staff room.

He sighed, and stood, looking around at the room. Everyone was already breaking up into pairs, some of the low achievers already heading for the door. Now, he was no nerd, but even _he_ thought that they would probably want to put the effort into something that affects their final grade. The bastards just wanted a longer first break. Lazy pricks.

The pairs were as he expected. Best friends here, boyfriend and girlfriend there, bully pressuring a nerd into doing the project for them over there.

A thought occurred to him, and his green eyes scanned the room for the new guy. He found him, still sitting at his desk, scribbling in his notebook. Surely the guy couldn't have that many things to write down already? Maybe they were ideas? Hm... He seemed to be forgoing the 'find a partner' step.

He crossed the room to the other boy's desk, and looked down at him. "Hey, you got a partner yet?" He asked, knowing full well that the answer started with an N, and ended with an O...  
"No, not yet. Most people haven't even noticed I'm here.... which is fine. Things tend to work better that way."  
"Well, I don't have a partner either, so, wanna work with me?"

The blue eyes widened. Clearly, he had been expecting an order to do the assignment, not a request for team work. Life of a Nerd is hard, even in Atlanta, it seems.

"Oh! I...uh....I...."  
"Is that a no?"  
"No!! No, I... sorry." He blushed and looked back down at his notepad. "Sure.... I don't mind working with you on the assignment."

He grinned, and grabbed a chair out from under another classmate who was about to sit down, pretending not to notice as they fell to the floor, and pulled the chair close to the other boy's desk, taking a seat. "You know, I never actually asked your name."  
He smiled a little and let his blue eyes rise. "I never asked yours, either. I'm Rodney Lunette... Rod."  
"Nick."  
"Just Nick?"  
"Normally."  
"Oh come on, I told you my full name."  
"Nah, I'm good."  
"Come on..."

He sighed. "Alright, alright." He huffed. "Nicholas Verte."

"Can I call you Nicky?"  
"I'm sure it couldn't hurt any."

He didn't think it would stick.

* * *

This is a accompanying peice to 'Missing Peices'. All about how Nicky and Rod ended up where they were, but mostly from Nicky's point of view. :3 You don't need this to understand that, and you don't neet that to understand this, but this goes into Nicky's life in the Back District in a lot more detail than Missing Pieces does.

Help me improve and leave a review! Constructive stuff makes me smile!!

~Whispy


	2. Learning Each Other

There were better themes their teacher could have chosen for their final High School project, he supposed. But, at least his partner for the affair seemed to know a lot about it. Then again, the guy was a nerd, so, he couldn't say he was surprised.

"So? What do you think of that idea?"  
He hadn't been listening. He'd been gazing off dully, inspecting a crack in the wall.

"Nicky?"

He took a few moments to realise he was referring to him, and whipped around. "Hm? What?"  
Rod huffed. "You weren't listening to a thing I said, were you?"f  
"Not really." He admitted, running a hand though his black hair. "My attention span isn't my biggest asset."

Some of the girls still in the room snickered. "Big hands, big feet, big..... ego?" One of them said, looking over.  
Rod blushed, looking quite bewildered.  
Nick just chuckled. "The lady folk... they adore me."  
"For your.... assets?" Rod wondered, still blushing.

Nick tilted his head to one side. What did Rod think he was? He liked the ladies, true, but he wasn't about to take any of them _home_. That was about the worst idea in the history of bad ideas! And it wouldn't go down with the parents well if he went to their homes to have his way. Somehow, he didn't think his mother would have taken that well either, perfect angel that she was, in life and death.

"They like to imagine." Nick said, shrugging. "But anyway, you were talking about this stupid project."  
"I was. We can continue with me talking and you not listening, but then again, you probably wouldn't appreciate missing your first recess, so, why don't you go. I'll stay here."  
Nick blinked at him, watching the faint blush from earlier fading from his cheeks. "You.... don't want to go to recess?"  
"I don't have any friends to hang out with, so, why should I?"

Nick was suddenly rooted to the spot, staring at Rod strangely. It took Rod all of five seconds to notice the gaze locked on him, and his blue eyes rose to meet the shocked green.

".....What?"

Nick shook his head sharply, and reached down, snatching Rod's pencil from between his fingers.  
"Hey!"  
"You're coming to recess, do you understand?"  
"But.... why?"  
Nick smiled. "To sit with me, of course."

The blush which had almost faded from Rods cheeks was suddenly back in full force. "Sit with you? But.... but... your friends wouldn't.... want me near.... most people don't... I..."  
"Would I have said it if it weren't okay?" Nick stood and headed for the door, pausing in the doorway when Rod did not follow. "Are you coming?"  
"But..... why?"

Nick looked ahead of him, smiling sadly. "I don't really have any friends either." And he vanished.

Rod stared after him for a few seconds, before scrambling to pack up his things, and dart out the door, only to bump into the other boy where he stood in the hall, waiting. "Ooof."  
Nick looked back at him. "You okay?"  
"Y...yeah..." Rod looked at him curiously.  
"Where do you wanna sit?" Nick asked him.  
"I.... don't know..... wherever you like."

What a weird situation he had found himself in. True, he wasn't new, and he wasn't a nerd, so making friends should have been easy. But, even in groups where those who knew of his origins were not present, he was still grasping for people to hang out with. He tended to drift from group to group.

At least he got along with most of them.

But there was no one he would exactly call his 'friends'.

And there was no way he would hang out with a bunch of girls like some sort of teenage pimp. He was a semi responsible young man!

Eventually, the two of them decided on a place in the yard, not far from their classroom, leaning up against a wall. Rod had his notebook out again, writing in it fervently, once Nick had returned his pencil.

"What are you writing in there? Notes for the project?"  
"Yeah. I... I guess you could call me a bit of a nerd." No kidding. "But, you're considered for college on your final grade. Seeing as this school is where I'll be getting it, I want it to be a good one."  
"You're gunna go to college?"  
"I'll not be looked on well by my parents if I don't. They both went and they both have degrees and all that stuff."

Nick was quiet. His dad couldn't care less if he went to college, let alone finish school at all. Hell, he'd prefer if he didn't go at all, and stayed at home to carry on his legacy and shit. What Rod had was.... almost completely opposite... his parents wanted him to go to college.... wanted him to make something of himself.... and wouldn't be impressed if he didn't get to.

"Nicky? Are you okay?" Rod asked after a little while.  
"Hn? What? Oh, yeah. I just went all... contemplative... there."

"Are you going to college?" Rod asked.  
"If I can get in, sure. But, I don't think my final score will be that impressive. Sarah is a bit of a wind bag, so, I normally zone out before she gets to the point."  
"Sarah?"  
Nick looked at him. "Sarah Karson. She's our teacher?"  
"....oooh."

"She's a bit of an idiot. I don't think she even realised you were there."  
"I noticed that."  
"So, without the standard blathering before getting to the point, what is our project supposed to be on?"

"Music."

"Great." Nick sighed. "The one subject I really do suck at."  
"We don't have to actually perform a piece, you know." Rod told him. "At least, that is what I understand."  
"Oh well good. I can't sing."

Rod chuckled. "Neither can I. Oh, well, sorry, I can, but I don't sound very good. My voice goes all nasally when I try..."  
"You might not have noticed, but it's kind of nasally as it is."  
"Not as much as when I try to sing. Trust me. My father works with singers. He tried to teach me. I flat out refused when I heard myself played back." Rod crossed his arms over his chest. "He actually lied to me, saying I sounded fine. As if."

Nick took one look at the indignant expression on Rod's face and burst out laughing. Rod blushed a little. "What are you laughing at?"  
"Sorry bud..." Nick said, half calming down. "But you just looked so damn insulted over your dad lying to you once!"  
"Once is plenty to be upset over!" Rod exclaimed.

"Trust me, Rod..." Nick flopped back onto the grass they were sitting on, looking up at the sky. "After the first half million times..... you get used to being lied to."

Rod's face became sympathetic. "I'm sorry."  
"What the fuck for?"  
"Well, it doesn't sound like... you get along with your parents very well."

"I get along with my dad fine." Nick said, waving a hand dismissively. "But there are some things that he hasn't wanted me to know, so, he tells one of those harmless little white lies. Too bad that my dad can't lie for shit, so..."

He sighed and sat up. "So, did you have an idea on what you wanted to do for the project?"  
"Yeah... I was thinking we could do a report on a musical piece. "  
Nick's expression was less than enthusiastic.  
"And I was thinking we could also make a model."  
"A.... a music model?"

"Of the set, dummy."

"Set?"

Rod smiled, and pulled a book out of his bag, placing it in the other boy's hands. Nick looked at the title. "...Broadway Musicals of the 1940s?"

"Uh huh." The other boy was smiling happily. "We don't have to do one of these, but we could do one that's more recent.... like Cats, or Sweeny Todd."  
"What or what?"

Rod sighed and took the book back. "You're not really into musicals and things, are you."  
"I'm not into much."  
"Don't you have any hobbies?"  
"Trying not to go insane? Does that count?"

Rod crossed his arms. "Come on. What do you do when you get home?"  
"Eat, then sleep. Don't have time for much else."  
"Weekends?" Rod was frowning worriedly.  
"Sleep. And chores, usually." Chores, being his word of choice for the training his father put him through.

"You don't do anything for yourself? No fun?"  
"Well, some of the chores are kind of fun." He said honestly. "But normally, no. School is about as relaxed as it gets for me."

".... That sounds horrible..."

"I'm used to it by now. "

---

The rest of the week rolled by at a comfortably familiar pace. Rod was noticed by their teacher on the third day. She couldn't fathom why the entire class, most of all Nick, started laughing when she introduced him to the class.

Rod noticed a lot about his new friend in that first week.

There were about five students, all of them also in their senior year, but in different classes, that seemed to walk around Nicky, giving him a wide berth. These same students always seemed to draw a glare from Nicky, the likes of which were not seen on his face in any other situation. Perhaps those students had done something to him in previous years?

Another thing was, although every other student looked pleased when it was the end of the day and they could go home, Nicky looked.... downright depressed. But then again, it didn't sound like his house was much of a home.... he might as well has slept at school, for all the good it did.

Nick, not normally that observant, also noticed a lot of things.

Rod blushed a lot. Mostly, when he would laugh at something, or when the topic of conversation drifted onto adult activity. He wasn't ugly, so a few of the girls tried to get his attention, as girls tended to do. But Rod couldn't have looked more disinterested in their advances. He didn't react at all. And when someone, anyone, brought up gays, Rod seemed to frown worriedly.

Nick had to come to the conclusion that Rod was either a Homophobe, or a Gay. But then again, he had heard somewhere that you could be both, so maybe he was a Gay Homophobe?

Nick wasn't jerk enough to ask him about it. He was probably still in the closet, for all he knew. Besides.... it wasn't as if Nick didn't have a secret or two of his own to keep...

On Friday, just before they parted ways, Rod stopped him. "Are you going to be busy tomorrow?" He asked.  
Nick looked at him. "Well, my dad'll have chores for me to do. Why?"  
"Well..... I was thinking..... if you wanted.... you could come over to my house? And we could.... work on our project... or something." Rod looked down at the ground, blushing. What, hadn't he had a friend over from school before?

Nick shook his head at his thoughts. It wasn't like _he_ had ever had friends over either, and that was how it was going to stay.

"Well....." Nick was ponderous. "If I tell dad I have homework, that should get him off my back for a day." He smiled. "Sure, I can come over. You wanna meet somewhere?"

Rod looked ecstatic. "Um.... gee.... I don't know where anything is except school..."  
"We might as well meet here then. What time?" Was the next question. Of course, in Nick's mind, it translated into 'how long do I get to sleep?'  
"Uh... I don't know.... hey, do you have a cell phone? I'd like to be able to call you, and tell you if my parents say no..."  
"I don't have a cell, no. I really should get one, hey."  
"They are kind of handy. My Mother insisted I have one for emergencies. What's your home phone number then?"

Nick opened his mouth to answer, but stopped short of making any sound as he was hit with a startling realisation. "I..... don't know. I think we have a phone.... but.... I'll be damned if I know what the number is..."

Rod blinked in surprise. That was weird. "Well, tell me what district you're in. I can look it up."  
Nick turned on his heel and started walking off towards the subway station. "No, it's okay." He said quickly. "We can just meet here and hang out somewhere if your folks say no. How about we meet here at...." The prospect of even an additional hour was tempting.... "Ten?"

Red frowned. ".....sure..." And he waved at Nick's back as the dark haired boy made a hasty retreat.

---

Rod was still contemplative by the time he returned home. His father was still at work, as usual, and his mother was at home, waiting for her precious boy to return. As usual.

"I'm home." He said, hanging his bag on a hook near the door.  
"Oh Rod!! You're late!! Are you okay?!" Rod's mother came bolting out of the kitchen and trapped the teenager in a hug. Rod glanced over her shoulder at the clock on the wall.  
"Mother, I'm hardly five minutes later than I was home yesterday. Will you not panic, please?"  
"Oh but darling..."  
"No Mother, I mean it. I just walked a little slower than usual, okay? You're not allowed to panic unless I'm late by fifteen minutes or more, do you understand?"  
"Oh, but Rod..."  
"Mother!"

She drew back and frowned. "What's wrong, Rod?"  
"I'm just.... tired, Mother." He headed for the stairs. "I'm going to bed."  
"Aren't you going to have dinner, sweetheart?"  
"No." And then he was gone.

An hour and a half later, his father returned home. "I'm home! Maria! Rod!"  
"Hello dear. Welcome home."  
"Thank you, Maria. Where's Rod?"

Maria frowned. "He went to bed."  
"But it's not even dark yet!"  
"I know.... I knew we should have enrolled him in a private school.... Something must be happening at school to make him act this way... He.... he shouted at me..."  
"He did what?!"  
"I'm sorry Matthew... I... I was so shocked I couldn't do a thing..."

Matthew Lunette frowned. "Well, I better go talk to the boy then!" And he headed upstairs.

"Rodney?" He knocked on the door twice, and headed in. Rod was sitting at his desk, idly writing in his notebook. "Rod? I'm home."  
"Welcome home, Father." Rod said automatically, not looking up.

"Rod, your mother is upset."  
"How sad."  
"Rodney!"

Rod looked up. ".... What?"  
"What's wrong, Rod?"  
"Nothing, Father."  
"Your mother said you shouted at her!"  
"I walked slow and was five minutes late. She was acting like I had been missing for an hour! I can't stand it, Father, I'm being smothered!!"  
Matthew blinked, taken aback. His soft spoken son never acted like this... "Rod..."

Rod sighed and returned his eyes to his book. "I'm sorry, Father."  
"Rod, something is bothering you.... talk to me, son."

"Father.... can.... can I...."

Rod looked up at his father again. "Can I.... have a friend over tomorrow?"  
Matthew blinked. "You've made friends? Already?"  
"Is that bad?"

"No! That's great! Fantastic even! Your mother and I were worried you wouldn't make friends in your new school..."  
"So, can he come over?"  
"Of course! We'd love to meet him! What's his name?"

"Nicky." Rod said, smiling for the first time since he got home.

* * *

A/N: I wanna say a big thanks to Fran, who keeps pointing out my inncorrect lingo usage. :D I wish you would login so I can reply to your reviews! :D

And, I hope MP is still there... I didn't take it down....


	3. Sorrows of the High Life

A pair of brown eyes widened with surprise to see a slender form slink down the stairs the next morning. "What the fuck?"

"Good morning to you too, Dad." Nick deadpanned, heading for the freshly brewed coffee.  
"What the hell are you doing up this early on a Saturday? You're normally dead to the world until at least ten." His father said, approaching his second son as he placed some bread into the toaster. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, Dad." Nick turned to face the man who helped bring him into the world. "Listen, Dad, I'm going out today."  
"Wh-"  
"I have a big Homework Project, and I'm going to go and work on it with my partner."

"..."

"I'm not training today, Dad."

He watched his father's eyes as he processed that information. ".... I see."  
Nick looked at him carefully. "Is that okay?"

"Here is a better question: Is there anything I can do to stop you?"  
Nick took on a determined expression. "No." He answered.  
"Then go."

Nick smiled. "Thanks, Dad!" And with that, he downed his coffee, shoved his toast into his mouth, grabbed his bag and left the apartment, heading for the station.

His dad watched him go, until he couldn't see him anymore.

".....Well it's about fucking time he grew some backbone." He said. "I was beginning to think he'd never skip training for something." He chuckled and sipped at his coffee. "But that's Nick for you. Far too fucking nice to say no."

---

Rod was sitting in the grass out the front of their school at ten minutes to ten, face buried in his red covered book. He liked to be early. It meant he was never late, and when you were never late, people didn't have to wait, and that made them happy. His whole life he had been taught that it was important to make people happy... Even if....

"You're early."

He looked up, blue eyes locking with a pair of green. "Nicky!" He smiled broadly and stood up. He had honestly been expecting to be stood up, today. Or at least made to wait for a few minutes.

Wait, stood up? What was this, a date? Rod blushed at the thought and shook his head sharply.

"Yeah, I like to be early." He said, smiling at his friend. "Mean's I'm never late."  
"I suppose it does." Nick smiled back. "So, where are we going? Did we get the okay for your place?"  
"Yes, my parents are happy for you to come over." Rod said, nodding.

That beat hanging out at school, then, Nick thought. "Cool. How are we getting there? Train?"  
"Train?" Rod repeated, as if he'd never heard the word before. "No, we'll be walking. Mother is paranoid. She wouldn't let me catch the train on my own."  
"You're not on your own." Nick said, grinning, feeling mischievous. "You're with me! So it should be fine!"  
He looked down. "I don't know, Nicky...."  
"What harm could it do?" Nick threw an arm around the other boy's shoulders and leant on him slightly, which made him stiffen. "I catch the train all the time. It's fine!"  
"You do?" Rod looked at him. "Why?"  
"I catch the train to school."  
"You live that far away?"  
"Far enough." Nick said, looking at the road. "But, I like the train." That was true. Beat walking, anyhow.

"Well..."  
"Come on! It'll be fun!"

Rod smiled. "Alright! Let's catch the train then!"  
"Sweet! You know where the station is?"  
"Er..."

"Over here." He said with a sigh, leading the other boy towards the subway station.

---

Rod stayed close to Nick as they moved through the station to work out what train they needed to be on. This was new to him. He'd never been down here before... even with his parents. They were wealthy enough to not believe in public transport. Well, public anything really. Public healthcare, public education... the only reason Rod was even going to a public school is because Rod insisted.

Nick stopped near a large board with a map on it.  
"Okay, Rod, where do you live?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at the other boy.  
Rod looked at Nick for a moment before looking up at the map. "....Here." He said, placing a slender fingertip on the board.

Nick frowned. Wow, that really was close. There was really no point getting ON the train here... seeing as this was the closest stop to that suburb. Buuut...  
"Oh, okay, in that case... We need to catch the next train!" He said, grinning.  
Rod frowned at him. "...Really?"  
"I think so..."  
"Maybe we should just walk."  
"Oh come on, Rod!" Nick groaned. "Where is your sense of adventure?"  
"I was born without one."  
"Bullshit!"

Nick put his hands on his hips. "All my spare time has been monopolised by my dad's routine, and I still have a sense of adventure! Let's just get on the train, and see what happens!"

Rod frowned deeper. "I shouldn't..... my parents will worry, and they're expecting us home..."  
"So, let them worry. You said you have a cell phone, right? So if they freak out they can call you and you can say something like 'we need to take a detour' or 'we'll be back soon' or some of that smoothing over shit."  
"Knowing my parents, they'd call the police before calling my cell phone. "

Nick's arms fell limp. "You're kidding."  
"Don't I wish." Rod sighed and gazed idly at the floor. "Mother freaked out on me yesterday because I was five minutes late. Five minutes! And she was acting as if I had been kidnapped and held for ransom!"  
Nick arched his brows at that comment. "Is that likely?" he asked. "What are you worth?"

"To them? Or in the real world?"  
Nick shrugged. "Whichever you think means the most."

Rod sighed and readjusted his back on his shoulders. "I mean everything to my parents. To the point of obsession. I imagine they'd give everything up in order to keep me out of harm's way."

"How boring."

Rod looked at him.  
"I mean, I can't claim to have a great home life either, but jeeze, it sounds like they're trying to keep you in a little glass box like those things in the museum." He huffed. "Look but don't touch."

Rod huffed. "I wish they'd let up, once in a while."

Nick grinned. "We should get on the train."  
"But..."  
"Rod, we're going to get on the train. And we'll see what happens."

".....I want to sit by a window."

---

Maria was pacing. Matthew knew what that meant. She was worried. She was worried about Rod. She was worried about something happening to Rod.  
"Maria, sweetheart, please, sit down." He urged her.  
"I can't! Rod's not home yet!"  
"His friend must have been late getting to the school. It is the weekend, and kids do like to sleep in."

"They were to meet there at ten! It's nearly half past!!"

Matthew sighed and stood, taking his wife into his arms. "Maria, listen to me."  
She looked up at him, her eyes fraught with worry.  
"I talked to Rodney last night. And do you know what he told me?"  
She shook her head.

"He said he felt like he was being smothered."

"Smothered?" Maria repeated the word in a whisper. "It's that public school.... I knew that we should have made him go to a private school! We should have insisted!!!"  
"No, no, Maria, listen!" Matthew gave her a gentle squeeze. "It's not his school life that is bothering him."  
She blinked confusedly at her husband.  
"It's his home life. Here. Us."  
"U....us?"

"That's what he told me."  
"But....."  
"Maria, did you panic when he came home from school later by five minutes?"

"Uh... well... yes... but, I thought...."

"You thought. I thought. We're always ready to think the worst!" Matthew kissed her and pulled her into the chair. "Let's just let Rod be. If he's gone for too long, we'll call his cell phone. He's in High School now.... we can't keep treating him like a child."

His words sounded confident, but, in reality, it was taking a lot of effort to say the things he was. He was worried about his only son just as much as Maria was, perhaps even more so. But, Rod had been so.... hurt. So offended by his mother's over protectiveness. So insulted by the way they didn't seem to trust him.

So, he'd make himself believe.

For Rod's sake.

---

Rod sat near the window on the train, with Nick beside him. Nick seemed to be very comfortable on the slightly dirty train, jolting slightly as they chugged along. It was just another place that he had been before, something he was used to, nothing new.

Rod, on the other hand was very nervous. The graffiti on the chair in front of him was vulgar, the window was dirty, and there was gum on the floor. He didn't place his backpack down because of that, having it sit in his lap instead. He noticed that Nick didn't seem worried by it, but then again, this was his territory, almost.

The blue eyed boy wondered, though, why no one seemed to want to sit within two seats of them? Why did they look at Nick and then sit somewhere else? Why did they glance at _him_ and give him a look of pity.

Rod looked at Nick, who didn't seem to notice. "...Nicky?"  
There was still a slight delay in the response. He looked over. "Yeah?"  
"Wh...." He stopped, and decided not to ask. He shook his head and asked something else instead. "How long do we have to stay on the train for?"  
"Till we get to the right stop."

"Which stop is that?"  
"Not sure."  
"Not..... not sure?!" Rod stared at him. "You said you knew where we were going!!"  
Nick grinned. "I said we should get on the train and see what happens!"

"Nicky! We'll get lost!!"

"Don't worry. That's the thing about trains. There's a train from every place to every place, more or less."

"I don't like this idea anymore...." Rod whimpered, as the sky above them rumbled, and grey clouds started to gather.

"Oh come on. You're too sheltered." He smiled, and Rod blushed. "We'll just ride the train around the circuit, then get off again, if it makes you feel better."  
"It would." Rod admitted. "Please..."  
Nick smiled again. "Okay."

---

It was nearly three in the afternoon, and nearly the breaking point of Rod's parents' resistance when the front door clicked open. Two voices echoed through the house, laughing as they ran in out of the rain.  
"Gah! I'm freezing!"  
"I told you we should have just walked back. We would have been here long before the rain started!"  
"Yeah, but that wouldn't have been anywhere near as much fun! Come on Rod, admit it. Riding the train around was fun!"

"The train?!" Exclaimed a woman's voice from the next room.

Rod winced as he placed his bag on the hook near the door. "Oh spit..."

A woman ran out, frantic, and grabbed Rod. "Rodney!! You were on the TRAIN?!" She shook him a little. "I told you never to go on the train, it's dangerous!!!" She started looking him over for injuries. "Are you hurt?!"

A man poked his head out of the kitchen door and stared at his wife.

"Mother, I'm fi-" But he was cut off as she clung to him, near crushing him.

"...Uh.... Miss?" Nick made an attempt to soothe the woman. Rod had said she would freak out, but he didn't think she would freak out THAT much!

Maria Lunette suddenly whirled on him. "YOU!" She jabbed a finger at him, making him recoil in surprise. "You get out of my house and stay away from my boy!!!" She shrieked. "How DARE YOU make him go on the train!!!"  
"Mother!!"  
"Maria!!" Matthew came out of the kitchen and grabbed her, pulling her away from the two boys.

_**"MOTHER!!!!"**_Rod suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs. For such a soft spoken teen, he shook the rafters, so to speak, with his well projected voice.

Maria was so shocked that she quietened at once, and stared at him. He looked so hurt.... so offended....

"How DARE you, Mother!!!" He shouted at her. "How dare you shout at my friend that way!!! How COULD you?!"  
"R...Rod.... I was... I was just..."

"You're a HORRIBLE PERSON!!" He balled his hands into fists. _**"I HATE YOU!!!"**_ And with that, he turned on his heel, grabbed his bag, and stormed out of the door, into the rain. He left the door open, but the front gate snapped closed with a loud BANG!!!

Nick and Rod's parents stared after him for a moment. Maria looked like she'd been struck by lightning or something, her son's words almost physically wounding her, from the look on her face.

_Hmm... Awkward...._ Nick thought to himself, looking at the two adults.  
Slowly, he returned his bag to his back, and scooted out of the door into the rain, before breaking into a sprint. That..... was weird.

He didn't stop till he was well and truly off their street and into the thick of the suburb. The rain pattered down all around him, running off his already drenched back, and dripping from his hair. "I should have stayed in bed." He grumbled, looking around. Where did Rod go?

He headed through the suburb. "Rod!!! Rooood!!" He called out. But no answer came to him. "Rod buddy! Where are you? ROOOD!!"

He searched for an hour, and was about to give up, when a soft sound, like the coo of a dove, drifted through the roar of the rain.  
"Rod?" He headed for the sound, and, he found himself at School.

And there, sitting in the rain in the lawn, crying into his knees, was Rod.

Nick walked up to him and looked down at him. "...Rod?"  
"I hate her.... I hate her!!" He wailed. "But..... she's my mother.... I'm not supposed to hate her......"

Nick sat down beside him. "It's alright, Rod buddy, really it is.... She had no right to freak out on you like that..."

"She's not the horrible person..... it's.... me....."

* * *

A/N: Rod's mum is a psycho xD I sort of based her of Marlin from Finding Nemo.... but then I made her even moe super crazy :P I think if I had a parent like that, I'd probably hate her too :P

Thankyou for being so patient! :D


	4. Come with Me?

He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now. He couldn't take him back there, what with crazy-super-protective-mom, and stands-on-the-sidelines-and-lets-his-wife-shout-at-his-son's-only-friend-like-a-great-useless-idiot-dad being there.  
He couldn't take him to his place, because THAT was the worst of all bad ideas, and breaking the 'None Shalt Know if at all Possible' credo that Nick lived by.

He crouched down beside his friend on the grass, while he continued to sob into his knees.  
"Rod? You okay?"  
"Nicky…. It's awful…." Rod sobbed, looking up at him. Nick almost flinched at that look, but didn't, for Rod's sake. The rain had drained all the colour out of his usually so bright blue eyes…. Made him look so…. Hollow….. "How could I…. have said such things to her…?"  
"She deserved every word, Rod." Nick told him. "She was crushin' you…. You don't deserve to be treated like that, bud. She can't keep you prisoner."

"Nicky…." Slowly, Rod reached his arms out and caught the older boy in a tight hug, ignoring how he stiffened at first.  
Nick let him cling to him. It must have been so hard for him. Always trying to please. Always trying to be good. Make them happy. Be home on time so he didn't have to put up with that shit. He didn't blame him, really. It probably was easier to just sit there and suffer than sit through the chaos doing something assertive caused.

After a little while, Nick reached around him and pulled Rod's arms back around to the front. Rod made a noise of protest which Nick ignored, and he pulled Rod to his feet. "Come on." He said, smiling slightly.  
"N….No…. I'm not going back there. I won't!" Rod shook his head sharply.  
"Wasn't gunna make you go back there, Rod-Buddy. I just don't wanna stand in the rain any more. Want to….. I dunno… go to the mall or something?"  
"I….I'm….I'm not allowed… I…."  
"Come with me, Rod." Nick gave him his most charming smile.

Rod blinked a few times, blush hidden by the rain. "……okay."

---

Next thing Rod knew, he was forming a puddle on the floor of the train as the two soaked boys sat in an empty train car. Nick wasn't sitting beside him, this time. He was standing near the rear of the car, standing under the vent, making an attempt at getting himself sort of dry.

"Come stand under the vent, Rod!" He called out. "You'll get a chill if you stay wet."  
"That's silly, Nicky." Rod said, shaking his head. "How embarrassing."

"We have the whole car to ourselves, Rod."  
"Not the point."  
Nick chuckled. "You'll be more embarrassed when we're walking around and you're leaving puddly footprints all over the place."

There was a pause.

A moment later, Rod was standing under the warm vent beside the other boy. Nick chuckled.  
"You're so weird."

---

The wide berth that Rod had noticed when they were on the train earlier, didn't seem to be in effect, now that they were in the shopping centre. Maybe the people on the train knew something about Nicky that the people in the mall didn't, he wasn't sure. But……. If it was important, Rod was sure his friend would tell him.

"Oh hey!" Nicky's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "A music shop!"  
"I thought you didn't like music." Rod said, looking at him from behind his clear lenses.  
"I don't mind listening to the stuff. I can't play it or sing to save myself, though."  
"I'd like to hear you try."  
"And I'd like a lot of money to move out of home, but that sure as fuck isn't going to happen." Nick huffed, striding away from Rod, into the store.

Rod blinked and headed after him, placing himself beside the taller boy as he started looking at CDs, a little confusedly, Rod noticed.  
"You really wanna move out that bad?" He asked.  
"As if you're any different." He returned, picking up a CD and looking at the back of the case at the song list. "But, at least you have a chance of it. As for me, I'm doomed. What about this, do you think?" He asked, holding up a CD.  
Rod looked at the CD before looking at Nicky. "What about it?"  
"Any good, you think?"  
"How should I know? I've never even heard of this artist before. Not one of my Father's clients…. John Mayer… I should ask Father when I get ho-…." He trailed off.

Rod slumped his shoulders and sighed.

"Ah, Rod." Nicky shook his head and took the CD over to a counter on the side of the shop, and handing it to the attendant there. "Hey, could we get a preview of this one?"

"Sure." The attendant looked at the CD Nicky had just handed him, before reaching behind him and putting a store copy into the CD player. "Any particular track?"  
"Nah, just give us the first one."  
"Okay."

And the attendant hit play.

The first 20 seconds did not fill Nick with joy. Acoustic Guitar.

Don't get him wrong, he had nothing against the Guitar, Acoustic or otherwise. But he wasn't exactly a Country and Bluegrass fan, and as far as he knew, or cared, Acoustic Guitar meant Country or Bluegrass.

"I like the Guitar." Rod piped up, stepping beside Nick. Fucking typical. Thanks for that, universe. He'd been about to stop the song, too. Oh well, might as well listen to it now, he supposed.

The guy singing the song had an okay voice, Nick decided. "Where's this guy from?" he asked as the song hit its first chorus.  
"He's American, dude." The attendant responded. "If you're after something imported we have plenty of international stuff."  
"I was just asking. Christ." Nick huffed, looking at Rod, who was looking at some other CDs.

He turned back to the attendant and was about to ask for it to be turned off, when the words of the song started to hit his ears.

_They love to tell you  
Stay inside the lines  
But something's better  
On the other side_

"Something's better?" He whispered. His green eyes locked onto the CD player as it continued to push the song out it's speakers.

_I am invincible  
As long as I'm alive_

Nick seemed to be in another place as the song came to an end. Rod had come to stand next to him, and prodded him when he didn't move or leave comment. "Nicky?"

Nicky blinked a few times and looked around. "What? What happened?"  
Rod giggled. "What's with you? You were a million miles away."  
Nicky blushed a little. "Oh yeh?"  
"Yeah."

"Not a bad song, is it?" The attendant asked. "What did you think?"

Nicky was ponderous for a moment before reaching into his backpack and pulling out a slightly damp leather wallet. "Can I buy that album?"

---

Later, the two boys were sitting on a bench, listening to the rain still pattering down on the roof above, a burger in hand.  
"Ugh… This is so inelegant…." Rod grumbled, as a bit of tomato fell from his sandwich and onto his lap.  
Nicky snickered. "Inelegant, huh? Sorry, next time we'll go to some fancy restaurant. YOU can pay the bill, though."  
Rod glared at him, but it dropped away after a moment, and he watched the darker haired boy finish his burger, and lick the sauce off his fingers idly. Rod caught himself staring and promptly shoved the rest of his burger into his mouth, damning elegance to the deepest pit. A quick glance to the side told him that Nicky hadn't noticed him staring….. thank Christ for that….

Once finished with his fingers, Nicky got his new CD out of his bag and looked at the cover. "You know what?" He said, frowning at it. "I'm an idiot."  
Rod frowned. "What…? Why?"  
"…I don't have a CD player."

"You…. Don't?" Rod blinked at him. "At all? What about a computer?"

"Fuck no! I don't have anything like that! No time to use it, usually. I'm really liking this day off shit. We should do this more often." He smiled broadly at his friend, who blushed in response.  
"You like….. hanging out with me? After what happened…?"

Nicky shrugged. "Your mom is a freak, sure, but I don't blame you for what she did."  
Rod looked at the floor by his feet, sighing sadly.

"We still have a stupid assignment to do too, don't we."

Rod looked up at him. "You're thinking about our assignment? Now?"  
"Well, if we do good, then we'll both have a better shot at getting into college. Then we can say goodbye hell hole, and hello freedom! A dorm is better than the shit you and I put up with now."  
"You really think so?"  
"I know so! You're a huge nerd, right? Help me out here!" Nicky looked at him earnestly, which made Rod giggle. "I mean it! Help me! If you can explain stuff to me in a way I understand, and without all the rambling our teacher does, I'm sure I'll get better grades! I don't want to do this shit anymore, Rod, I really don't! I gotta get my grades up or I'm doomed!!"

Rod looked at him. This surprised him. He seemed to carefree sometimes… Made him wonder what kind of life he was trying to run away from…..

"We never ended up deciding what to do for our assignment." Rod reminded him.

Nick held up his new CD. "We could do something on this guy maybe?"  
"On your new all-time favourite artist?"  
Nicky looked at the CD. "Well…… yeah."

Rod smiled. "With the Musicals, we could have at least gotten away with a diorama of the set. With this, we'll have to do some sort of report."  
"Maybe we can find the lyrics? And the sheet music for it? I dunno what we can do with that, but, surely there's something that we can do that isn't me procrastinating an essay and you doing it all in the end so we don't fail and the teacher knowing better and failing me for it."

Rod frowned. "Well, if it means that much to you I'm sure we can. But I'm not overly sure what."

"There's gotta be something. You're smart. I'm sure you'll find it."

---------

A/N: Cheers go to MusicalVampire for nagging me :P

Short chapter because I'm not sure what to do next. I am seriously tempted to have them sing :P

Anyone who can tell me which John Mayer song Nicky likes gets cookies!! xD

~Whispy


End file.
